Best Cash Back Credit Cards

This review of the best cash back credit cards contains a selection of personal and business credit cards that may excel in certain categories. You can be sure that you will find a card with the best combination of rewards. Even the titles of these credit cards are aimed at helping you to find the most suitable credit card quickly.

🔍 Best Credit Cards for Cash Back

In this section of our review, we will disclose which are the best personal cash back credit cards on the market. You will find different options here, including the flexible Chase Freedom Unlimited card, a reward-heavy U.S. Bank cash back card, or Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa that comes with the most outstanding welcome bonus.

When it comes to such an issue as the best credit cards for cash back, Chase Freedom Card should definitely be named in the list. This credit card from Chase Bank offers a perfect combination of solid general purchase rewards, high rewards on select categories, and a generous welcome bonus.

But let’s see what this cash back card offers in detail. The first thing to discover is cash back. You get an unlimited 1% cash back rewards rate on all purchases you make – this is usually considered rather a meagre rewards rate. Yet, Chase Bank selects certain categories and brands that will provide you with a 5% rewards rate every quarter (keep in mind that you must activate the categories). Keep in mind, however, that the 5% rewards rate is limited of up to $1,500 per quarter and drops to 1% then. This means that you may receive $75 from spending $1,500 on select categories every three months.

But apart from a decent cash back rewards rate, Chase Freedom Credit Card also offers several other worthwhile bonuses. It is definitely worth to mention that you get a $150 worth welcome bonus if you manage to spend $500 within the first 90 days – that is among the most generous welcome bonuses on the market. Another thing to point out is that you get a 0% intro APR period on both balance transfers and purchases. Yet, mind the balance transfer fee that is either $5 or 5% (whichever is higher).

Considering that this credit card doesn’t charge an annual fee, it definitely seems as a good cash back card option. Even if you have a better card, you can use Chase Freedom as a secondary card and benefit from the 5% rewards rate on rotating categories. That won’t be bad for sure.

Chase Freedom Unlimited Card was released much later than Chase Freedom, but it quickly gained a reputation as one of the best credit cards for cash back. There are two reasons for that: the card comes without an annual fee and you get a higher-than-average rewards rate.

Let’s start with cash back. Unlike the Chase Freedom Card, this credit card from Chase Bank offers unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases you make. This offer might seem better for customers who don’t tend to follow the category calendar from Chase Bank. Additionally, the card doesn’t have a minimum amount for redeeming cash back, which is quite a nice thing as well.

But there is another particular thing about cash back rewards with Chase Bank. Once you have obtained a tier two Chase credit card, your rewards can be redeemed towards points from airline and hotel partners. In such a case, your cash back rewards rate will be raised from 1.5% to 1.875% – this is, indeed, an amazing offer. The partners of Ultimate Rewards Points Transfer include:

IHG Rewards Club

Marriott Rewards

The Ritz-Carlton Rewards

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer

British Airways Executive Club

Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards

United MileagePlus

Hyatt Gold Passport

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.

In regards to all other features of this credit card, it offers completely same features as Chase Freedom. You also get a $150 welcome bonus after spending $500 within the first 3 months. Likewise, you will earn a 0% intro APR period on both purchases and balance transfers during the first 15 months. As you can see from this part, the difference between the two cards is only in the rate of rewards they offer.

But even if you are a cardholder of Chase Freedom Card, we recommend you to apply for Chase Freedom Unlimited as well. That will allow you to enjoy high cash back on general purchases and 5% rewards on select categories. Yet, we highly suggest you not to make a product change from one credit card to another, because you will not get a $150 welcome bonus after spending $500 within 90 days.

Cash Wise Visa Credit Card from Wells Fargo tends to be one of the top cash back credit cards on the market. This credit card offers a perfect combination of high cash back rewards and the most generous welcome bonus.

Let’s look into the details of what this credit card can offer. Cash Wise Visa Card comes with a 1.5% cash back rewards rate on all purchases you make – that tends to be a rather high rewards rate. During the last 12 months, you will also enjoy 1.8% cash back rewards rate on all qualified mobile purchases. But considering that many shops accept mobile purchases, you can actually boost your cash back rewards rate up to 1.8% during the first 12 months.

Yet, what is more important is that Cash Wise Visa comes with an overwhelming welcome bonus of $200 – the most generous bonus on the market. Unlike Chase Freedom and Chase Freedom Unlimited, Wells Fargo wants you to spend $1,000 in the first 3 months in order to receive the bonus.

It is also worth to point out that the card comes with a 0% intro APR period, which is somewhat lower than what Chase credit cards offer. The fee for balance transfers would be 3% or $5 (whichever is greater) during the first 120 days, while it will be raised to 5% or $5 (whichever is greater) following that period. Therefore, we recommend you to make any balance transfers during the first 4 months.

And the last feature offered by this credit card is the cell phone protection. If you pay your phone bills with this Wells Fargo credit card, your phone will be covered for $600 against theft and damage (though, $25 are deducted towards insurance). Even though this feature is offered by all credit cards from Wells Fargo, it was worth to mention it as well.

To sum up, Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa is one of the most decent cash back credit cards on the market. The card provides the customers with a perfect combination of high rewards on all purchases and a lavish welcome bonus. All in all, one would recommend to have this card in your wallet.

This cash back credit card from Capital One is actually among the best cards offered by this bank. One may roughly compare this credit card to Chase Freedom Unlimited, even though it can boast a few additional features. Now let’s dive into the details.

In a pretty similar way like Chase Freedom Unlimited does, Capital One Quicksilver Card offers a 1.5% cash back rewards rate on all purchases you make. Considering that that is a rather high rate of rewards, one might definitely consider applying for the card. Likewise, it also offers a $500 worth welcome bonus if you spend $500 within the first 3 months – that is the equal welcome bonus that the customers enjoy with Chase Freedom Unlimited.

However, it is worth to note several good things about Capital One Quicksilver Card. First of all, it has a lower APR on purchases than the one offered by Chase Freedom Unlimited. At second, it would be far better to use this credit card abroad – it doesn’t charge a foreign transaction fee.

Yet, there is a more significant disadvantage of this credit card: it doesn’t provide the customers any intro APR period. So, we suggest you to apply for this credit card only if you don’t need to spend a lot of money at the beginning or make any balance transfers. Besides, if you tend to use the credit card abroad, this Capital One Quicksilver Card might be a nice choice for you.

💳 Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Card: Good Cash Back for Bad Credit

Unlike the previous credit card from Capital One, this cash back credit card comes with an annual fee of $39. Also, it offers far less features that than the previous Capital One credit card. Then, why one would bother oneself with applying for such a credit card?

This is one of the few cash back credit cards presented here that can be applied for by the customers with a credit score in the low 600s. This allows the customers with poor credit history to enjoy cash back rewards while recovering their credit. Simply put, this is a rewards credit card for customers with poor credit.

Yet, you have to spend at least $2,600 in a year in order to reach the breakeven point – then, using such a credit card makes sense. The card also comes with another advantage: it doesn’t charge a balance transfer fee. But considering that there is no intro APR period and the card’s APR is quite high, you are unlikely to benefit from it.

All in all, you should seek this credit card in case you have a poor credit score yet you want to benefit from cash back rewards. However, that barely makes any sense if you spend less than $2,600, because the annual fee will be higher than what you will get in return. But if you tend to spend even more, you will get some cash back rewards and an opportunity to rebuild your credit, which is not bad at all.

💳 Discover It Cash Back Credit Card: Double Cash Back in the First Year

Discover it Cash Back Card is one of the top cash back credit cards on the market, offering a high rewards rate. And this credit card from Discover It is perfectly suitable for rewards maximizers, who are capable to spend on select categories and enjoy the 5% cash back rate.

So, this Discover It credit card allows the cardholders to enjoy a 5% cash back rate on select categories, which are changing every quarter. Typically, those categories include Amazon.com, wholesale clubs, restaurants, groceries, and gas stations. Also, the card provides the customers with the 1% cash back rewards rate on all other purchases.

And while this credit card doesn’t offer a welcome bonus, it, perhaps, has a far better feature: Discover It will match the cash back bonus you have earned during the first year. That offers boundless opportunities for maximizing your rewards.

Let’s make some calculations. Let’s suppose that you manage to spend $1,500 on a select category every quarter. Likewise, you would theoretically spend $6,000 on all other products. In a result, you would get $360 in cash back ($75 from quarterly categories and $60 from all other purchases) while spending $12,000 in the first year. Considering that Discover will double that figure by the end of the first year, you will get $720 in a result.

As you can see, using this credit card might be quite a viable option. You are likely to get a far lucrative welcome bonus from doubling the rewards than you would get from a welcome bonus of Wells Fargo Cash Wise – you should just wisely maximize the rewards. But you must also keep in mind that Discover It has its own network, which is different from Visa and MasterCard. That means that there are places where this credit card might not be accepted.

The U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature Card is deservedly regarded as one of the best cash back credit cards for excellent credit. Of course, this card provides the customers with generous features. Yet, the recommended credit score required for applying for this credit card stands at least at 720.

But there are solid reasons to apply for this card. First of all, if offers a lower interest rate than many other credit cards and comes without an annual fee. Secondly, the card comes with a 5% cash back rewards rate on select categories for up to $2,000 every quarter – that’s $500 more than what the credit cards from Discover or Chase Bank offer. These are the 5% categories from U.S. Bank:

Fast Food

Movie Theaters

Charity

Car Rentals

Furniture Stores

Electronics Stores

Bookstores

Cell Phones

Sporting Goods Stores

Gyms and Fitness Centers

Select Clothing Stores.

Apart from that, this U.S. Bank card also comes with a 2% rewards rate on one of the general categories: restaurants, gas stations, or groceries. You will also enjoy a 1% rewards rate on all other purchases you make. The welcome bonus of this credit card is not bad either – you get $150 if you manage to spend $500 within the first 90 days.

It is also noteworthy that the card comes with a 12-month long intro APR period on balance transfers. Yet, keep in mind that you will have to pay a balance transfer fee of 3% or $5 (whichever is greater). The credit card also comes with all the benefits of Visa Signature, such as Emergency Cash Disbursement, 24/7 Travel Concierge Service, or Extended Warranty Protection.

All in all, you are able to earn much more in benefits with this U.S. Bank card than even with Discover It card (which was reviewed previously). If you know how to maximize the rewards, this card is definitely worth applying.

💳 HSBC Cash Rewards MasterCard: Good for Daily Cash Back and Using Abroad

HSBC Cash Rewards MasterCard is a type of credit card that is perfectly suitable for the customers with varied spending. That means that this card offers generous bonuses on everyday purchases, but cannot beat other credit cards in terms of 5% cash back on categories. Let’s dive deeper into the details.

This credit card from HSBC bank is listed among the credit cards with best cash back on general purchases. Actually, you get a 1.5% cash back rewards rate on all purchases you make. But considering that it comes with a 10% Anniversary Bonus that is applied every year, you effectively get a cash back of 1.65%. That puts this credit card in one line with such cash back cards like Chase Freedom Unlimited and Citi Double Cash.

But the benefits of this card are not limited only to the high cash back rate. The card also comes with a zero foreign transaction fee and without an annual fee. It is also noteworthy that you get a welcome bonus of $150 if you manage to spend $500 within 90 days – same what Chase Freedom Unlimited offers. The card also comes with a 0% intro APR period on balance transfers for 15 months (which is quite much), yet you will have to pay a balance transfer fee: $10 or 4% (whichever is greater).

To sum up, this HSBC credit card can be named as one of the top cash back credit cards for varied spending, and one may definitely consider applying for it. Considering that it grants you a cash back rate of 1.65% on all purchases, a generous welcome bonus, and a 0% intro APR period, there are barely reasons not to apply for this card.

💳 Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express: Best Cash Back in Groceries

If you are looking for cash back credit cards with no annual fee, this AmEx card is definitely not an option. And even though it comes with a whopping $95 annual fee, there are still many situations in which using this credit card would be profitable. Let’s look into the details of what this credit card is able to offer.

So, this credit card from American Express has a lot to offer. Let’s discover the cash back rewards. First of all, it grants a cash back rate of 6% on purchases in American supermarkets for up to $6,000 in a year, and that is the highest such reward so far. That means that if you spend those $6,000 in a year, you will receive $360 cash back in return – that astonishingly exceeds the annual fee.

Apart from it, the card also offers unlimited 3% cash back on purchases at gas stations and department stores, and this makes it one of the best gasoline and grocery cash back credit cards. Even if you spend $2,000 in a year on gas, it would bring you another $60 cash back return. After all, you will also earn 1% cash back on all other purchases.

But those are not all the rewards offered by this AmEx credit card. You will also get a $200 welcome bonus after spending $1,000 in three months – a welcome bonus equal to the one of Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa. Likewise, it comes with a 12-month long intro APR period on both balance transfers and purchases, which is not bad as well. All in all, this is a worthwhile grocery and gasoline credit card, which shouldn’t be missed by consumers who spend a lot on those categories.

🔔 2% Cash Back Credit Cards (And More)

Actually, there are only a few credit cards that offer 2% cash back rewards rate. In this part of the review, we will disclose the details of both credit cards and help you find the most appropriate option for you.

If you were looking for 2% cash back credit cards, Citi Double Cash Credit Card would be a perfect choice for you. It comes without an annual fee and provides the customers with an astonishingly high rewards rate on all purchases. And the thing that is also important that this is a credit card which is incredibly easy to use.

As a matter of fact, there is not much to describe about this Citi Bank credit card. Actually, it tends to be among the rare 2% cash back credit cards: Citi Double Cash Card grants you 1% cash back when you buy and 1% when you pay. In this simple way, you receive 2% cash back on all purchases you make with this credit card.

Apart from this, Citi Double Cash also offers a 18-month long intro APR period on balance transfers, which may help you to consolidate your debts. However, you must make a balance transfer within the first 4 months after applying for the card. Besides, be aware of the balance transfer fee (either 3% or $5; whichever is greater) that you will have to pay.

To sum up, this credit card from Citi Bank is an amazing offer for customers with varied spending. There is barely any credit card on the market that offers higher cash back rewards on all purchases that come along with such a long intro APR period on balance transfers. This card is a perfect combination of simplicity and outstanding rewards.

Even though Alliant Cash Back Visa Signature Card is one of the rare cash back credit cards for excellent credit that comes with an annual fee, it tends to be one of the top cash back cards on the market. It offers an unheard-of cash back rewards rate of 3% during the first year – there is no credit card that has the same feature.

So, this Alliant credit card comes with an annual fee of $59 – this is something rare among the best cash back credit cards. However, that fee is waived during the first year. But in exchange, the cardholders can enjoy 3% cash back during the first year and 2.5% cash back during the following year on all purchases. Citi Double Cash Card, for example, can offer only 2% cash back, which is considered among the highest rewards.

In regards to that, it might be worth for you to apply for this card. For instance, you need to spend only $2,360 in the second and the following years in order to reach the breakeven point. So, if you spend more than $11,800 per year, this card would be more lucrative for you than even Citi Double Cash Card. Indeed, you can earn more with specific credit cards offering 5% cash back on categories, but this card from Visa is straightforward and simple.

Apart such a high rewards rate, the card also charges no foreign transaction fees. Typically, the cards charge a 3% foreign transaction fee on every transaction abroad, which makes using such cards abroad meaningless. But this Alliant Cash Back Visa Signature Card charges no foreign transaction fee, so you can enjoy that generous cash back even while being on your vacation.

Obviously, Alliant Cash Back Visa Signature Card is the credit card with the highest, most generous cash back on the market. If you have a good or excellent credit score and you tend to spend more than $5,000 in a year, we would suggest you to apply for this credit card. Yet, don’t expect to get a welcome bonus with this Alliant Cash Back Visa Signature.

📌 Best Cash Back Business Credit Cards

Even if you own a business, you can be sure that there is a good selection of business cash back credit cards, which will help you to save some of your company’s money. At this point of our review, we will disclose the details of the best options we have succeeded to find so far.

💳 SimplyCash Plus Business Credit Card from American Express: Good for Tech Start-Ups

AmEx SimplyCash Plus Business Card is recognized as the top cash back business credit cards on the market. Even though this credit card offers a generous rewards rate on certain categories, the card may be suitable for you in two cases. In the first case, you should have a business that will use the services of select categories. Or, otherwise, you may be a rewards maximizer who knows how to benefit from this card in the most efficient way. Let’s dive deeper into the details.

In the first place, this credit card comes without an annual fee while offering a high rate of rewards. You will get 5% cash back on the first $50,000 spent on wireless services purchased from U.S. suppliers each year. Apart from that, you can choose one of the categories (for a year) on which you will get a 3% cash back rate. Those categories include:

After you reach the $50,000 limit a year, your cash back rewards will be lowered to 1% in that year. Actually, this makes it also a perfect gasoline cash back credit card. If you spend $50,000 on wireless services in a year, you will save $2,500 on cash back. Likewise, you will get $1,500 in cash back on one of the selected categories after spending $50,000 on it. Besides, the card also offers 1% cash back on all other purchases and a 0% intro APR period on purchases during the first 15 months.

There is also one thing to be mentioned, and it is called the Expanded Buying Power feature. Your credit card will not actually have a fixed credit limit, but it will rather depend on a combination of factors, such as your credit history, credit score, how much you spend per month, etc. In theory, you would be able to spend much more than you could with a fixed credit limit otherwise.

To sum up, this is a decent business credit card from cash back, which offers one of the highest rewards on the market. If you are in a tech business, you should definitely fall for it.

💳 Chase Ink Business Cash Rewards Card: Best Category Cash Back for Businesses

Chase Ink Business Cash Rewards Credit Card is another in the row of business credit cards for cash back that offers decent rewards. But the special benefit of this credit card is an extraordinarily high welcome bonus of $500, which barely can be matched by any other card.

Let’s decompose the cash back rewards. So, you will get 5% cash back on office supplies, internet, as well as cable and phone services for the first $25,000 spent in a year. But what’s really spectacular about this credit card is the 3% cash back on purchases made at gas stations and restaurants – this is definitely something worthwhile. Yet, they are also limited to $25,000 in a year. You will also receive a 1% rewards rate on all other purchases.

It is also worthwhile that this credit card offers a 12-month long intro APR period on balance transfers and purchases. But which is especially amazing about this card is the $500 worth welcome bonus – you need to spend $3,000 in the first 90 days for that. As for such a generous welcome bonus, that’s a pretty modest sum.

One has also to point out that you can add other employee cards for free. Obviously, it is a decent business credit card for cash back, and you should carefully weigh whether it is worth for you to get it.

Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card is a credit card that is perfect for business travelers. In this review, we will disclose what is so special about this card and why it may be worth applying for it – despite a hefty annual fee.

So, this credit card from Chase Bank comes with an annual fee of $95, which is considered rather high. At the same time, Chase Ink Business Preferred is considered to be among the most lucrative business credit cards, whereas it offers a welcome bonus of $1000 if you redeem it towards travel. If you redeem it towards cash back, gift cards, or other, you will get only $800. In order to get that welcome bonus, you need to spend $5,000 within the first 90 days.

Apart from it, the card also offers 3 points for every $1 (up to $150,000 in a year) spent on travel and one of the following business categories: advertising in social media websites and search engines, internet, and shipping. Also, you will get unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases. That leaves you with cash back rewards rate anywhere from 1% up to 3.75%. If you redeem the points towards travel, your cash back rate will stand at 3.75% for category purchases and 1.25% for all other purchases.

That’s not to mention that this credit card doesn’t charge a foreign transaction fee, which means that it’s a perfect choice for using abroad. Given this fact and the amount of bonuses for travel, this card from Chase Bank tends to be among the best business credit cards for travel.

The AmEx Blue Business Plus Credit Card is not as great about cash back bonuses as the previous offers. But it has a 15-month long intro APR period on both balance transfers and purchases – that is considered to be the longest intro APR period on business cards. And while the card is not abundant with bonuses, it may be a worthwhile option if you spend less than $50,000 per year.

Basically, you will receive 2x points on daily business purchases. But what’s worthwhile is that you will get 2 points for the first $50,000 spent in a year. One estimate one point to be equal to $0.01, which leaves the cardholders with a cash back rate of 2% for the first $50,000 per year. Considering that that is among the most generous rewards on the market for general purchases, this card might stand as a viable option if your expenses don’t tend to exceed $50,000 in a year.

Another great thing about this AmEx credit card is that it allows you to spend beyond the actual credit limit. It doesn’t mean that you can spend indefinitely, but the amount of money you can spend is based on your creditworthiness, credit history, the amount of money you have spent before, and so on. To sum up, this is a decent credit card for low spenders.

💳 Capital One Spark Cash Select Card for Business: Good for Varied Business Spending

As a matter of fact, Capital One Spark Cash Select Card for Business looks pretty mild, compared to the previous options. Even though it is easily beaten by other business credit cards for cash back, one should definitely have a look at this card in detail.

In the first place, the card offers a welcome bonus of $200 after spending $3,000 within 90 days – that is a rather modest welcome bonus for a business card, whereas the business cards from Chase Bank offer welcome bonuses in a range from $500 up to $1,000. Apart from that, the credit card comes with an unlimited 1.5 % cash back on all purchases you make, which might be somewhat than the previous cards offer yet it is unlimited – so, you are not limited, for example, to spending $50,000 in a year.

This credit card from Capital One also comes with an intro APR period on purchases: the period lasts, however, only 9 months. So while this might be useful, it shouldn’t be considered as something decisive. Besides, you can get employee cards and assign managers to those cards at no cost, which is another benefit of this card.

To sum up, Capital One Spark Cash Select Card for Business might be a good option for businesses that spend a lot per year, but only a scarce part of those expenditures goes to travel. If you are not one of such businesses, we would recommend you to consider rather some of the cards offered above.

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